Nuclear Sub Joining Fleet

Shipyard Proud Of Latest Effort

November 06, 1993|By WILLIAM H. MCMICHAEL Daily Press

NEWPORT NEWS — A visitor about to step down through a hatch on the brand-new submarine was duly warned: Watch out for the fresh paint.

Three years after its keel was laid, its commissioning less than a day away, the nuclear attack submarine Hampton still required some last-minute touch-ups for today's expected throng of well-wishers. But aside from the touch of blue applied to the inside of the hatch, everything looked to be in place for the big day.

And make no mistake about it: For the officers, crew and shipyard workers who have overseen operations, stood watch or welded a bulkhead, today, when the Hampton is turned over by Newport News Shipbuilding to the U.S. Navy, is most definitely a big day.

A host of dignitaries are in town for the commissioning, led by Sen. Strom Thurmond, R-S.C., and sub sponsor Laura Bateman, wife of Rep. Herbert H. Bateman, R-Newport News. But the center of attention will be the long black submarine, floating inside Drydock #2 and attached to dry land by two walkways draped with red, white and blue bunting.

``I've waited two years for this,'' said Seaman Chavee Newman, a control room operator. ``It was just a frame and a hull when I got here. It's a very special moment.''

``We're proud of it,'' said the shipyard's Allen Vick, echoing the sentiments of other workers who gathered Friday at the site of the commissioning to reflect back on the yard's three years of work on the sub.

Down in the crew's mess, the sub's captain just beamed. ``I would not have traded these past two years for anything,'' said Cmdr. David J. Antanitus, the Hampton's commander during its formative years. Like most shipbuilding commanders, however, he'll rotate to a new job before he gets a chance to take the sub on a regular deployment.

To an outsider, the job of overseeing two years of construction without the payoff of command would seem to be missing a payoff, like an Olympic athlete who trains for two years but never competes in the games.

Not for Antanitus. He asked for the job. An Illinois native and 19-year Navy veteran, Antanitus wanted to put his stamp on the sub and its crew. He feels he's been successful and that his successor will enjoy commanding what he termed Hampton's professional, friendly crew.

``I give my men a lot of responsibility,'' he said. ``My men will not always make the right decision, but they'll make the best decision they can make.''

His top enlisted man also asked for the job. Master Chief Petty Officer Mike Hedgecock is chief of the boat, and Hampton is the third sub he's served as such.

``I always like to do something different,'' said the 26-year veteran, also from Illinois. ``I'd never done new construction.''

Hedgecock said he also liked the idea of working with a brand-new crew. ``I wanted the opportunity to train a crew from day one. This particular crew will have some of my characteristics. And I like that.''

Hedgecock said he'll likely retire when this tour is up in April, but noted that he'll probably get to squeeze in one last deployment, aboard the Hampton.

Hedgecock and Newman, like the Hampton's other 120 sailors and 14 officers, are ``plank owners,'' or original crewmembers of the vessel. The expression goes back to when ships were made of wooden planks. The plank owners all have their names inscribed on a plaque near the berthing door that stays with the sub.

``My name's on that plaque,'' said Newman, a two-year Navy veteran who hails from Detroit. ``I'm proud of it.''

The Hampton costs roughly $1 billion to build and prepares to join the fleet as the first subs in the Los Angeles class are being decommissioned halfway through their useful lives.

Some critics question the need for a large fleet of submarines in the face of the Soviet Union's breakup. But Antanitus argued that the Russian navy is still a viable force.

More importantly, he said, Third World countries possess some 300 submarines, representing a new and dangerous threat that can only be combatted with a strong U.S. submarine fleet.

``The rules have changed since I was a junior officer,'' said Antanitus, serving on his fourth submarine. Despite the threat posed by the Soviet Union during the Cold War, he said, ``I always knew in my heart that I would never have to fire a shot in anger. My junior officers can't say that. The rules are not as well defined.''

But on the eve of beginning to face that uncertain world aboard the Hampton, the crew is anxious to get started. ``The shipyard's really been nice to us,'' said Petty Officer 3rd Class Brian Howell, a 21-year-old sonar technician. ``But it'll be nice to get out there in the fleet.''